This week on Must Play: Bonus Round, we’re holding ourselves accountable and setting the tee sheet for 2026. First up: the 2025 recap. At the start of last season, we each identified three courses we absolutely had to play. In this episode, we review how that actually went for both of us. Spoiler: it did not go well for T.J.

Then comes the main event: the 2026 golf courses.

Each of us pitches three Must Play golf courses for this year, following strict rules, and fits into one of three buckets:

• The Heavy Hitter: a high-end or nationally known track
• The Value Find: a muni or hidden gem
• The Wildcard: something unique, weird, or sneaky with “Mustie” potential

From Certified Must Play golf courses candidates to under-the-radar surprises, this episode is all about building the ultimate 2026 golf roadmap. And this time, we’re putting the final decision in your hands. You’ll help decide which course we have to play this year.Let the campaigning begin.

👉 Follow for more golf course reviews, golf conversations, and episodes that make the game of golf a little more casual.

MUST PLAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEVEREUX GOLF

Head over to devereuxgolf.com and use code FAIRWAGERS20 for 20% off your orders...always.

OUR SOCIALS

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ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

This week on Must Play: Bonus Round, we’re diving deep into Payntr Golf shoes with the brand’s Creative Director and Co-Founder, Mike Glancy. You've seen Jason Day or Min Woo Lee wearing them and you've probably heard the name a ton, but you don’t fully know what separates Payntr Golf from other golf footwear brands. This episode will give you a better understanding of the origin story and a good picture of where the brand is headed next.

Mike walks us through his extensive background in footwear, including his time at major brands like Under Armour and Reebok. This, in turn, led to the creation of Payntr Golf, which makes their shoes performance-driven rather than trend-driven. We get into the real questions golfers care about, like what shoes you should pack for a 4-day golf trip and if you should practice in the same shoes you play in.

From there, we discuss athlete involvement and how players like Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Sam Burns, and Isaiah Salinda help shape the development of the next era of Payntr Golf shoes. We also explore PGA Tour validation and how that affects consumer buying behavior. Mike also previews the upcoming Reserve Collection launch and the biggest technological leap in their new line — and what problems they’re trying to solve next.

Finally, we close out with a quick overrated/underrated golf technology and trend edition.

If you care about performance, comfort, and the future of golf footwear, this Bonus Round was made for you.

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MUST PLAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEVEREUX GOLF

Head over to devereuxgolf.com and use code FAIRWAGERS20 for 20% off your orders...always.

MORE INFO ABOUT PAYNTR GOLF

Website: https://payntrgolf.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/payntrgolf/

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ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

In this episode of Must Play, we’re joined by Austin Tennant, better known as @catchyaaround on Instagram, to help us with our Foothills Golf Club review.

Austin joins T.J. & Shawn to discuss why Foothills Golf Club remains one of the more talked-about public courses in the Phoenix area. We cover some of the headlines from the course and what we liked (and disliked) the most. After that, Shawn dives into the history of Foothills Golf Club and how it fits into the Valley’s golf scene and even touches on some ongoing litigation. This Foothills Golf Club review goes beyond highlights, offering an honest look at who this course is actually for and where it shines the brightest.

As with every episode of Must Play, we put Foothills Golf Club through our 10-question Must Play grading rubric to determine whether it earns official Must Play status. From the ease of making a tee time and the pace of play, to whether you want to hang out and have a beer on the patio, each category forces a real discussion about what makes a golf course worth your time.

Whether you’re a Phoenix local deciding where to book your next tee time or someone planning a golf trip to the Valley, this Foothills Golf Club review gives you a clear, no-fluff breakdown. If you’ve played Foothills Golf Club before, we'd love to hear if our thoughts align with yours and if you haven’t, it may help you decide if it belongs on your Must Play list.

So join us as we again ask the question...but is it a Must Play?

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Every great golf season starts with a clear golf goals, and in this episode of Must Play: Bonus Round, we’re setting the tone for 2026 while looking back at what actually happened in 2025. Shawn and T.J. sit down to recap 2025's golf goals. The wins, the misses, and the ones that we forgot even existed, before laying out their official 2026 golf goals.

We kick things off with a 2025 recap, revisiting the goals we set and being honest about what worked, what didn’t, and why some goals came a bit easier than others. From T.J. trying to break 90 and Shawn's quest to break 70 at Dobson Ranch to playing new courses & spending more time with family on the golf course, this is a real look at how goal setting actually plays out over a full golf season.

From there, we shift into planning mode and build our 2026 golf goals from the ground up. We talk about how some of our golf goals just carried over from the 2025 golf season as well as sprinkled in some of our personal goals for the year. This episode isn’t about empty resolutions that we don't plan on achieving, it’s about building golf goals that we'll chase all year long.

Whether you’re a single-digit handicap, a weekend golfer, or someone just trying to play more intentional golf next year, this episode is meant to help you realize that we're all at different stages in our golf games and hopefully our setbacks and successes can help you think differently about golf goal setting and start 2026 with a plan that makes sense.

Grab a notebook, reflect on your own season, and let’s set some golf goals we’ll still care about come summer.

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MUST PLAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEVEREUX GOLF

Head over to ⁠devereuxgolf.com⁠ and use code FAIRWAGERS20 for 20% off your orders...always.

OUR SOCIALS

Must Play Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/mustplaypod⁠

FairWagers Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/fairwagers⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@fairwagers⁠

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

It’s awards season on Must Play, and we’re closing out 2025 by celebrating the Must Play golf courses that defined our year (and lumping in 2024). In the final episode of 2025, Shawn and T.J . debut the inaugural 2025 Must Play Awards (also known as The Musties) honoring the best golf courses that stood out across our episodes in each respective ranking factor on the Must Play Test.

If this is your first time tuning in, every course featured on Must Play is evaluated using our 10-question Must Play rubric, designed to determine whether a course earns Must Play status or falls short into a Should Play. Over the years of providing golf course reviews, we realized something important: not every one of the best golf courses checks every box, but many dominate in specific areas that deserve recognition. That realization led to The Musties.

In this episode, we break down each question from our grading rubric and nominate four Must Play golf courses per category, ultimately selecting one winner. Each course that takes home a Mustie holds that title for a full year and earns an automatic nomination to defend it in 2026.

From unforgettable hot dogs to signature holes and as well as the best golf course logos, this episode is a full-year roundup of the best golf courses we reviewed and debated in 2025 (and 2024). It’s equal parts reflection, argument, and celebration — the kind of conversation you’d expect after a long round with friends.

Whether your favorite course wins a Mustie or gets left out entirely, this episode is a fitting sendoff to a year spent chasing, debating, and defining what truly makes a course Must Play.

👉 Subscribe for more golf course reviews, golf conversations, and episodes that make the game of golf a little more casual.

MUST PLAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEVEREUX GOLF

Head over to devereuxgolf.com and use code FAIRWAGERS20 for 20% off your orders...always.

OUR SOCIALS

Must Play Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mustplaypod

FairWagers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairwagers

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fairwagers

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

In this episode of Must Play, we’re giving you a full Papago Golf Club Review to see where it really belongs among the best Phoenix golf courses.

Shawn & T.J. welcomed back recurring guest Mike Dressor to break down the headlines surrounding Papago Golf Club, explore its history in the Phoenix golf scene, and figure out where it truly belongs among the best Phoenix golf courses. If you’re planning a Phoenix golf trip or wondering whether Papago deserves a spot in your regular rotation, this episode gives you an honest, first-hand perspective.

We start by talking about what makes Papago unique, from its distinct backdrops to perhaps one of the best post-round hangs at Lou's. We also get into how the course plays for different skill levels, what golfers should expect on their first visit, and how Papago compares to other similarly priced, public options in the area. From there, we dig into the history of Papago Golf Club and why it continues to be a favorite for locals, visitors, and college golfers alike.

To wrap it up, we put Papago through our 10-question Must Play grading rubric, evaluating everything from the courses pace of play and value to it's logo/pro shop and food at the turn. Tune in to hear the answer to the question golfers actually care about: Is Papago Golf Club a true Must Play, or just a solid Phoenix public course?

👉 Follow for more golf course reviews, golf conversations, and episodes that make the game of golf a little more casual.

MUST PLAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEVEREUX GOLF

Head over to devereuxgolf.com and use code FAIRWAGERS20 for 20% off your orders...always.

OUR SOCIALS

Must Play Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mustplaypod

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fairwagers

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

If you’re shopping for golf gifts this year — or you are the golfer trying to casually drop some hints to your significant other, this episode has you fully covered. Shawn & T.J. each put together their own curated list of five items they’d love to unwrap this Christmas, giving you ten total ideas across gear, apparel, accessories, training tools, and fun upgrades for the golfer in your life. No gimmicks. No junk. Just really useful gifts or upgrades to existing golf gear that they already own.

From things that help you play better, to things that make the game more fun, to things that help you travel easier, this episode is packed with easy wins for any holiday budget. And if you're trying to build your own wish list this year, consider this your shortcut to not getting another novelty golf mug or a shirt with a punny golf saying on it (that isn't actually good or funny).

Grab a drink, settle in, and get ready to pick out a few more items for your list this year — because gift-giving season just got a whole lot easier.

👉 Subscribe for more golf course reviews, golf conversations, and episodes that make the game of golf a little more casual.

MUST PLAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DEVEREUX GOLF

Head over to devereuxgolf.com and use code FAIRWAGERS20 for 20% off your orders...always.

OUR SOCIALS

Must Play Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mustplaypod

FairWagers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairwagers

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fairwagers

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

In this episode of Bonus Round, we’re diving deep into golf exercise, mobility, and performance with Dr. Nima Enayati from TeeItUpPT in San Diego, CA .

Nima joins us to talk about his background, his Titleist Performance Institute certification, and why he believes not just the golf offseason is the perfect time for golfers to get screened to prevent something from going wrong. We break down the essentials of golf stretches, mobility, and strength training, giving you practical ways to protect your body and level up your swing without overcomplicating your training.

We start with why mobility and stretching aren’t the same thing, go through some mobility tests golfers can do at home, the most common restrictions he sees, and the three mobility exercises every golfer should be doing—even without seeing your swing.

Then we move into stretching: what golfers get wrong, and Nima’s go-to daily stretch plan (plus the most overrated stretch golfers keep wasting time on). From pre-round routines to long-term flexibility work, you’ll walk away with a simple, effective structure you can follow immediately.

Finally, we dig into resistance training for golfers: the biggest myths he hears, what movements actually build power, his three must-do exercises for golfers with only 20 minutes a day, and the one move he’d choose above all else.If you want to feel better, swing better, and play better golf—this one’s loaded with all sorts of golf tips and tricks.

👉 Subscribe to FairWagers for more golf course reviews, interviews with fellow popular golfers, and laid-back golf conversations.

SPONSORED BY BIRD DARTS (birddarts.com): Don’t miss their Black Friday sale - 10% off single packs and 20% off 4-pack and cartons!

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NIMA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teeituppt/

Website: https://teeituppt.com/

OUR SOCIALS

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MORE PLACES TO WATCH/LISTEN TO MUST PLAY:

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Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/must-play-a-golf-course-review-podcast/id1768441213

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

In this episode of Must Play: Level Select, we dive into a full Bellair Golf Park review with none other than Mariah Swigart — better known online as Ms Swag Golf.

Mariah joins us to share how golf became a huge part of her life, how she became a teacher, and why Bellair has become one of her go-to golf spots in Arizona. From the vibe of the facility to the energy of the community around it, she breaks down what makes Bellair a fun, accessible, must-play experience for golfers of all levels. We chat about the renovated practice areas, the short-course design, and the overall “come-hang-out-and-have-a-beer” atmosphere that makes Bellair stand out in the Glendale golf scene.

If you love hearing passionate golfers talk about their local favorites, especially in the Arizona golf course scene, this is a fun, casual, easy-listen conversation with someone who knows the course inside and out. Grab a drink, settle in, and enjoy another episode of Level Select.

👉 Subscribe for more episodes of Must Play — featuring golf course reviews, guest interviews, casual golf talk and us always asking the question "but is it a Must Play?"

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MARIAH'S SOCIALS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms.swag_golf/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ms.swag_golf

OUR SOCIALS

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LISTEN TO MUST PLAY ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PROVIDER:

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FairWagers

Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/must-play-a-golf-course-review-podcast/id1768441213

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

In this episode of Must Play, we deliver our Phoenician Golf Club Review, one of the most talked-about resort courses in Arizona. We’re joined by golf photographer Brian Oar, who shares how he got his start behind the lens, his experiences shooting world-class courses, and what makes The Phoenician such a unique stop in the desert.

We dive into everything that defines a great golf experience from the course conditions and layout to the surrounding history of the iconic Scottsdale resort. Together, we break down the our highlights of the Phoenician Golf Club, debate where it ranks among the best golf courses in Phoenix, and ultimately put it through the our 10-question grading rubric, the Must Play Test.

If you’re planning a golf trip to Arizona or just love hearing about world-class golf courses, this episode gives you a look inside one of the state’s most unique tracks, solely based upon its location. Grab a drink and join us for another casual, beverage-worthy golf chat.

👉 Subscribe for more episodes of Must Play — featuring golf course reviews, travel guides, and honest, casual golf talk.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BRIAN OAR
His Website: https://www.brianoar.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianoar/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChdUZDJ3eX8er2kqk5XT9Vg

OUR SOCIALS
Must Play Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mustplaypod
FairWagers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairwagers
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fairwagers

LISTEN TO MUST PLAY ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST PROVIDER:
YouTube: FairWagers Golf & Must Play Podcast
Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/must-play-a-golf-course-review-podcast/id1768441213

ARTWORK BY 8-BIT BIRDIE: https://www.instagram.com/8bitbirdie

SPONSORED BY DEVEREUX GOLF
Check out the latest collections at https://devereuxgolf.com - use code FAIRWAGERS20 to always get 20% off your order